DKNY / Resort 2013

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DKNY’s back-to-black manifesto struck at the very core of the brand’s DNA for fall, particularly where city-ready outerwear was concerned. The LBD—a wardrobe staple beloved of many a young fun-loving urban creature—segues that message into resort quite seamlessly, given that it is also the season to be merry. There were several renditions of it in the new collection, including satin charmeuse shifts with trompe l’oeil necklines and playful feathered trimmings. And while those dresses offered a tried-and-tested way to dazzle after dark, the most interesting party-starters in the bunch were the ones that took that classic all-black look somewhere new, like a lace tuxedo shorts suit or a pair of tailored wide-leg pants worn with a sporty satin bomber. As for forays into color, the biggest splash came in the form of abstracted fuchsia, scarlet, and black zebra print on a thigh-skimming minidress that was reminiscent of a graphic eighties art tableau.

Dark glamour aside, the lighter notes in the collection are worth a second look. The latter half of DKNY’s offering will still be in stores when holiday decorations are coming down—sheer, rose-tinged, layered tees and gauzy cream knits that are a gentle counterpoint to the leather pencil skirts that will have been in our closets since the fall. Ultimately that palette of winter white and pale pink give the working wardrobe a welcome soft touch.